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Topic: Abdullah Öcalan

Two groups from opposite ends of the political spectrum – U.S. Special Operations Command and the Syrian Democratic Forces (another name for Abdullah Ocalan′s PKK) – are making common cause in northern Syria. By Stefan Buchen and Karaman YavuzMore

When it suits the political agenda of those in power, the Kurds are seen as good patriots. The rest of the time, they are condemned as villainous traitors. It′s a situation that is repeated in Turkey, Syria and – argues Hoshang Ossi – within the Kurdistan Workers′ Party (PKK) itself

Turkey has witnessed another dramatic week, with police raids on an opposition newspaper, mass suspensions of academics and civil servants and the jailing of the leaders of the country′s main pro Kurdish HDP party. The government insists it is fighting to defend democracy against unprecedented threats, critics claim democracy itself is now at risk. Dorian Jones looks at the latest events More

Ankara has invaded Syria to keep Islamic State fighters out of its own territory and prevent Kurdish territorial gains. In Turkey, the dual strategy has not only met with approval: critical voices are growing louder. By Andreas GorzewskiMore

The Kurdish PKK and the Turkish government are both relying on a number of local and regional allies – in a conflict, inextricably linked to the war in Syria, which is likely to rumble on for years to come. An analysis by Cengiz CandarMore

Turkey′s military has been leading operations in the east of the country for months. The clashes have cost hundreds of lives so far. Ceyda Nurtsch spoke to Bilgin Ayata, assistant professor of political sociology at Basel University, about the political motivation behind the conflict and its impact on Turkey′s citizens More

Massoud Barzani, president of the Kurdistan Region in Iraq, wants rid of the PKK. Demanding that the group leaves the Qandil Mountains is a politically calculated move. But the Iraqi Kurds are not united in this view: another leading Iraqi Kurd politician and former Iraqi president, Jalal Talabani, wants the PKK to stay. An analysis by Birgit Svensson in ErbilMore

In the Turkish election campaign, all eyes are on the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP). The party's success would fundamentally redraw the nation's political map. Within a short period of time, it has succeeded in gaining favour with an array of disadvantaged social groups. By Ceyda NurtschMore

The city of Kobani in northern Syria has been under seige from Islamic State (IS) for over a month now. In recent days, Turkey has allowed a military convoy of Iraqi peshmerga and Free Syrian Army fighters to pass through its territory en route to Kobani. However, the peshmerga are arriving relatively late in the day. Thousands of Kurds from Syria, Turkey and Iraq have already joined the YPG and are in Kobani defending the city. They may all be fighting the same enemy, but they are certainly not united among themselves. By Kiran Nazish in ErbilMore

Sirri Sureyya Onder of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) is a member of the Turkish parliament and a negotiator in the talks between Abdullah Ocalan, head of the PKK, and the Turkish state. In an interview with Ceyda Nurtsch, he expresses his thoughts on the political future of Turkey under President Erdogan and on the negotiations to solve the Kurdish conflictMore

The deputy chairman of the PKK, Cemil Bayik, accuses Turkey of supporting IS and consciously ending the peace process. He views the recent Turkish parliamentary motion authorising the use of force in Syria and Iraq as a preparation for war – albeit a war against the PKK rather than against IS. Difficult weeks now lie ahead for Turkey and the Kurds. By Ekrem Guzeldere in ErbilMore

On 1 June 2014, some local elections in Turkey were re-run after the results of the original polls were contested. Re-runs were held in the provincial capitals of Agri and Yalova. For the citizens of the eastern Anatolian city of Agri, the outcome was a surprise: the candidate of the Kurdish BDP party, Sirri Sakik, clearly prevailed against the ruling AKP, taking 51 per cent of the vote. Observations from Agri by Ekrem GuzeldereMore

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Thousands of Muslims worldwide have demonstrated against U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Protesters marched the streets, burned flags and shouted anti-Israel slogans. By Timothy Jones